55 - Saying ‘inherited spirit’ is kinda cool (Patreon)

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Even though Hayashi has become a comrade, we are almost done touring today.
Because there is the travel time to consider, there is almost no time for other activities in Nara. It’s almost time to return to Kyoto, so after seeing the five-storied pagoda, we quickly board the bus and move out.

On the bus, I ask Tadashi.

“Tadashi, what on earth did you say to win over Hayashi-san?”

Hayashi-san said that she understood Hiuri's purpose... but even so, what could he say that could completely change her atmosphere?

“Nn? I just said it would be for the princess though.”
“And it becomes like that?”
“This is Hayashi-san who cares more about the princess than us boys do.”

That’s, I can kind of tell by the atmosphere...

“Besides, saying it myself is kinda meh, but Hayashi-san is also the type of person who enjoys it.”
“Well... I see...”

Among those three people, Hayashi-san is in charge of livening up the atmosphere. As for the one with common sense... Kannazuki-san? But what is Hiuri in charge of... a symbol...?

In any case, it looks like Tadashi's Hiuri Defense will continue. I haven't done anything, but the goal that Hiuri in the dream told me is likely to be achieved.

......

“Fuu...”

We return to the hotel, have dinner and take a bath.
Dinner is always a little too much for me, so a relaxing bath feels great. It seems that taking a bath on an empty stomach is bad for your health, so in a sense it may be a good thing that I am full.

“Kazuki!”
“Tadashi.”

Boys take a bath in order of class. Naturally, Tadashi also takes the same bath.

“The school trip is almost over, huh.”
“I guess so.”

We don't have much time tomorrow in our schedule. Most of our time will be on returning home.
We do have a plan to visit a certain building on our way home, but that is only one place, after that we just go home.

“I feel like I've been getting in the way of you guys all this time...”
“You're the one who did it on your own.”

In the first place, I didn't ask Tadashi to do that. When I told him the circumstances, he just took over and did it on his own.
Although Hiuri in the dream accepts it, seeing Hiuri's expression in real life is really painful.

“Don’t look so lonely.”
“Who's fault is that...”
“Now, now, calm down. It'll be the same as usual after the school trip, right?”

That's what Hiuri in the dream said. I don’t have the slightest idea what the purpose is.

“I'm getting out now.”
“I thought that yesterday too, but you’re quick aren’t you?”
“Tadashi is just taking a long bath.”

I wipe off the water and return to the changing room.
Most of the boys are still taking baths... Hm? Maybe my bath is too short after all.

Come to think of it, lately I feel like I've been shortening my bath time at home in order to fall asleep earlier. Maybe that's why my daily bath time has become shorter.

“Nakano-kun...”
“Sasa-kun, what’s wrong?”

It was Sasa-kun, a member of the same group, who got out of the bath at about the same speed as me. And that Sasa-kun called out to me.

“The teacher called you earlier.”
“Homeroom teacher?”
“Yeah...”

Did I do something?... hmm, I don't really know.
I don't really know, so let's go see him quickly. Maybe there's something I'm forgetting.

Pajamas are fine when sleeping, but we’re supposed to wear jerseys when moving around the hotel. Therefore, I change into my jersey and leave the changing room.
The teachers are in the rest area in front of the bathing area during this time. This is so that if something happens in the bath, they can rush to the bath immediately.

“Nakano-kun.”
“Sensei, did something happen?”
“You forgot something.”

What the teacher handed me was a handkerchief. It's a handkerchief with my name clearly written on it.
Apparently, I forgot this at the place where I had dinner. But why would my handkerchief... ah, I see. Is it because I went to the toilet once?

“Be careful. If you forget something here, you won't be able to come back tomorrow to get it.”
“I’m sorry, I’ll be careful.”

Tomorrow is check-out day according to hotel standards. Even if you forget something, you can’t come back here.

I sit in the rest area and check to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. While I might have left something in the changing room, I can't go back to my room because I don't have the key.
Normally, I would relax a little bit more in the changing room, but today, I had to leave early because I was called by the teacher. The pressure from the teachers in the rest area is so strong that I can’t rest much.

While I am waiting and checking, I hear a voice coming from the lodging area.

“Like I said, it was nothing! It’s true, you know?”
“Rinrin, you were intimidating him.”
“Eh─?”

These are the girls from the next class. In other words, Hiuri and the others.
Usually, I don't see them because they come out a little later, but it seems they came out earlier today, that’s why we ran into each other.

And I really stand out among the teachers. Hiuri spotted me and tried to approach me...

“Hiu, let’s quickly go into the bath─!”
“Eh, wait, it’s just a little bit.”
“Come on!”

It was stopped by Hayashi, who inherited Tadashi’s Hiuri Defense.

Hiuri in the dream told me that I shouldn't talk to her from my side, but that if she tried to talk to me, I shouldn't ignore her, but... I didn't have to ignore her, Hiuri couldn't talk to me from her side.
I am aware that Hiuri is trying to talk to me, but I have been told not to, so unfortunately I can only watch as Hiuri is taken away by Hayashi-san.

Hiuri and I have been kept away from each other by Tadashi, Nakatani-san, and Hayashi-san. I think it's good to have friends like that, but...

“Nakano-kun...”
“Ah, Sasa-kun. Thank you.”
“It’s fine. I have the key, so I'll go back first.”

Sasa-kun of our group has always been completely unconcerned. He seems to understand a lot of things between me and Hiuri, but he doesn't try to get involved. I hope we can continue to be friends after this.

......

“Ah, Hiu...”
“Nn─!”
“Uwaa!”

I wonder how many times this happened, this wordless rush hug. Since this is the dream, I can endure it without collapsing while keeping my consciousness, but if we are in real life, I'd collapse.
After hugging for a while, Hiuri suddenly looks up and says a few words.

“I never thought Rinrin would be on that side too!”
“It seems like Tadashi somehow won her over.”

I don't know if Tadashi's speaking skills or Hayashi-san's level of understanding was amazing, but Hayashi-san is already in the camp of getting in the way between me and Hiuri.

“The me in real life can't stand it anymore.”
“What is?”
“Yes, it's okay. Not yet.”

The lack of an object makes it impossible to understand anything. What can’t you stand?
Or is it about talking to me? But I feel like it's different from ‘stand’ because we’re just being hindered...

Hiuri spins around and approaches Muu, who is sleeping on its bed.

“Muu, there, there. I'm here too.”
“Kyu─n.”

When I came here, Muu was already sleeping in the bed meant for it.
Maybe what Uka-san said about the maintenance of the space meant that this dream world would remain even when I wasn't sleeping? Maybe that's why I can hear Muu’s cries...

Well, there's no point in thinking deeply about gods, so I make sweets appear, including some for Muu, just as Uka-san told me to do.

“Ara, is that a raw yatsuhashi?”
“Yeah. I thought you haven’t eaten it yet.”

While walking around Kyoto, I tasted a raw yatsuhashi. I bought some as a souvenir as well, but it should be fine to materialize it here.

“I was wondering if they had it in the hotel, but they don't.”

I thought they would serve it at dinner, but they didn't have anything like that, so she didn't have a chance to eat yatsuhashi.
That's exactly why I thought Hiuri hadn't eaten it yet.

“I'll gratefully eat it.”
“Muu too, here.”
“Kon!”

────

(T/N: I don’t know what yatsuhashi is, google gives description and image, but I can’t really imagine its taste or texture. Google it if you’re curious.)

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